There presently exists many types of dispensers or holders for rolled material, such as paper, paper towels, plastic bags, etc. Many of the present designs are rather complicated for the function they serve often utilizing swinging arms, compressible roller bars etc., all adding to their ultimate manufacturing cost.
In addition, most present dispensers are designed to be fixedly mounted i.e., against a wall or under a shelf. In this regard, inevitably at least two fastening means are necessary to affix the dispenser to prevent its tilting and allow for proper operation. The need for two or more fasteners to affix the dispenser in certain circumstances is undesirable. Examples of this would be when the surface to which the dispenser is being attached it is difficult to drive a fastener into such as a concrete wall, metal shelf, ceramic tile, etc. Even if the surface is easy to penetrate, the need for two or more fasteners may be cumbersome for example where one fastener is driven into a beam in a wall, with another required to go into a dry wall thereby requiring an anchor, adding to the work and inconvenience involved.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a dispenser which is relatively simple and inexpensive in design and manufacture but effective in allowing the dispensing of the product contained thereon. There also exists a need for a dispenser which does not require complicated or unnecessary procedures and material for affixing it to the desired surface but rather is readily and quickly attached.
Further, many times it is desirable to have a dispenser which does not require actual fastening to a particular surface, but is portable or free standing in a variety of positions or removably supportable by a shelf, back of a chair, door knob etc. Heretofore, in Canadian Patent 517,706 issued Oct. 18, 1955, there is disclosed a paper towel holder which does not require its fastening to a wall or other surface to allow for dispensing of the roller material. However this holder is limited in the manner it can be supported to enable proper dispensing. If one were restricted to supporting such a holder by suspending it over a supporting surface such as the back of a chair or shelf etc., due to the proximity of the support arms to the cross member, once suspended, the roll of product would engage the supporting surface impeding the dispensing of product therefrom.
Furthermore, while not suggested by the Canadian patent, should one desire to affix this towel holder to a wall etc., it would clearly require at least two fasteners, suffering the disadvantage aforenoted.